Love is Overpowering
by rknine
Summary: Being firelord isn't that great if it means losing your family. It's gonna be tough but in the end love is overpowering.


**Just a little one-shot I put together while I was procrastinating with homework. Hope you like! Thanks for reading and review!**

"Daddy, can you tell me a bed time story?" He almost made it out, the door was half way closed. But she woke up and caught him before he had a chance to run. He sighed but smiled and sat on his daughter's bed.

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who loved to help people. One day a prince was in grave danger and the princess agreed to help him. An evil witch awaited them for a nasty battle for the crown. The prince and the witch fought and fought until the witch was weak. There was fire everywhere!" The little girl hid under her covers. This witch lady was starting to scare her.

"Did the prince win?" Her father shook his head.

"No. He didn't. But, remember that beautiful princess?" She nodded.

"She came to the rescue. See, the witch was a sly woman and aimed at the girl with lightning, trying to kill her! But the prince felt something so powerful inside of him, that it pulled him in front of the lightning and shot him in stead." The little girl was terrified.

"That's when the princess ran up to the prince trying to save him but the witch was still active and attacked the girl. The princess put up a fight and in the end defeated her. She ran as quickly as she could back to the prince and healed him with a special gift she had. The prince got up and kissed his princess, knowing that strong feeling in him was love. The prince and princess got married three years later and had become the fire lord and lady." The girls face lit up, knowing this story sounded a little familiar. Zuko smiled.

"A year later a little princess was born and she was-

"Me!" Zuko laughed and tickled his little princess.

"Now go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning." He kissed her head a walked out of her room.

"Did you hear all of that?" He asked his sneaky wife leaning against the wall. She smiled and kissed him full on the lips. It was passionate and sloppy. She continued to trial kisses down his neck.

"You're so good with kids." She hummed against his skin. He shivered at her touch. Smiling, he picked her up and carried her to their room. Laying her on the bed, he planted little kisses down her shoulder. She pulled the string that held his tunic closed and he shook it off, letting it drop to the floor. Before he could take her gown off the door was swung open.

"Daddy?" The two jump off of each other, hoping she hadn't seen anything. Thankful she was too busy rubbing her eyes to notice. Katara was a little sad. She hadn't been able to kiss her husband like that in a long time.

"Sweetie what's wrong? Katara asked.

"I can't fall asleep." They sighed and made room for her on their bed. This was becoming a regular thing now. They hoped she would stop when started to get older, but Katara knew it was only because she missed her dad. She crawled in the middle of her parents and snuggled under my mothers arm. They were quiet until she fell asleep. Katara looked at her husband. She missed the Zuko before the whole firelord thing. This Zuko was different and didn't have time for her.

"Do you think we could do something tomorrow? You know, as a family?" Zuko's arm lay across his forehead.

"Can I just get some rest? You know I have tons of meetings tomorrow. This is my first real night without having anything to sign and I just want to sleep. Can I do that please?" Katara stiffened and tried to keep the tears from falling from her eyes.

"Look Zuko I know you're working hard and I know your tired but-

"But what?"

She paused to look at him. "Why did you want a family so badly if you weren't going to care about them?" Zuko turned his head towards her to speak, but she was already getting out of the bed with their daughter in her arms.

Katara put Zari back in her bed before walking back into the hall. She walked to the library, were she spent most of her time learning about the fire nation. If this were to be her new, permanent home and country, she would need to learn all there was to it. She sat on the window sill that looked out to a pond, the only source of her element near the palace.

It did take Zuko a while to find her which saddened him a little. He didn't know her all that well after all. Once he saw her he made his way next to her.

"D-do you really think I don't care about you a Zari?" She tried to ignore him and clasped the new necklace around her neck.

"That hurts Katara, it really does. You make feel like my father when you say that."

"Stop. I never said you were your father. All I'm trying to say is that you're different. And I understand that completely, but you don't even try to spend time with me and Zari."

"Well that's the royal life for you. It's no fun is it? If you really loved me you would wait for me!" Katara stood up, madder then ever.

"I've been waiting ever since Zari was born! For seven years we've been waiting for you! What has happened to you Zuko? You said you loved me, that you wanted to be with me!" The tears started to fall now.

"I left my family, everything I knew, for you because I loved you back, so much. Look at you now. This is our first real conversation in months and it's an argument dammit!"

"Well I'm sorry about all off that, I am! But I'm sorry that I have to be responsible for a country! If Lu Ten were still here things would be a lot easier for us. But guess what he's dead, my uncle was too weak to take the throne, and my damn sister is psychotic. If the fire nation doesn't want to end up in flames then it's my job to save them."

"You know I'm just as important to the fire nation as you. I've stood behind you all these years. Look at you! You're not healthy you need a break from all of this."

Meanwhile, a small crowd of guards were outside of the library doors, listening in on the couples fight.

"Ten gold pieces fire lady Katara wins this one."

"Pfft, you're on. The fire lords a man. No one talks to him like that." The guards shook on it and put their ears back on the door.

"Katara why do you have to be so difficult and selfish and-

"Selfish? How am I being selfish?" Now they were both up with arms flailing in the air.

"Me, me, me spend time with me Zuko, have a picnic with me Zuko, lets spar Zuko." Zuko explained in a girly voice. Outside, the guards tried to keep their laughs in.

"Zuko why can't you get it through your thick head! I miss you and you don't act like you miss me! I'd do anything to spend time with you!"

"Yeah? So arguing with me is one of them?" Katara's fist balled up by her sides. She flung them in the air.

"Yes!" Tears came down harder as did the water from the pond outside. "You're being crazy! Maybe you are turning into your father!" That's when Zuko had enough. He grabbed her arm and squeezed it, hard. She tried to keep her cool, but her husband was a lot stronger then her. Without even moving, she bloodbended his hand to release her. As soon as she was free she jumped on him. Zuko fell back with a thud and tried to grab her arms. She tried punching him but he grabbed her. Katara tried to break free but finally gave up. He rolled over on top of her to keep her pinned down.

"Let go!" She head butted him, not hard, but just enough for him to let go and grab his head. She burst out of the library. The guards scattered and hurried back to their posts.

"UGH!" Zuko moaned, getting up and walking back to his room.

The first guard had his hand held out.

"Pay up." He gave his friend a sly smile.

Zuko slammed the door as hard as he could, almost screaming. His fist made contact with the wall in a heap of flames. He grabbed his hair and sat on his bed.

"What is going on?" He whispered to himself."

Katara ran outside to the pond and splashed the water around some. She looked at her reflection in the pond. She was a mess, her hair was all over her face and her robe was torn at the hem. She frowned at the red pendent around her neck. She tugged on it and through it in to the pond. The tree in which Zuko's mother loved, met her back as the waterbender slid down it crying. She held her sides, trying to keep the pain in.

"Why is this happening? She sniffed. A few moments later, her engagement necklace rose from the pond in a bubble of water. Katara grabbed it, putting it in her pocket.

XXX

In the morning Katara found her self sprawled out in the grass. Stretching her back, she got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Good morning." She moaned. The cooks' mouths dropped when they saw her condition. There was grass in her gown and twigs in her hair.

"A-are you ok madam?" She nodded and started to remove the dirt form her robe.

"Mommy! Zari caught her by surprise and jumped on her hip. Katara picked her up kissing her forehead.

"Morning hon." She was getting way too heavy for this.

"Why are you all dirty?" She asked.

"I like camping." She simply told her daughter. Zari shook it off and watched the cooks make them breakfast. It seemed she had an eye for cooking. She liked to make her own lunch with the chiefs help of course. Zari and Katara sat at the table eating breakfast when Zuko walked into the kitchen grabbing a pastry.

"Daddy! Come sit next to me." Zuko just waved at his daughter before leaving the kitchen and walked back to his office.

"Daddy?" Zari got up from the table to follow him.

"Zari!" Katara sat up to follow her.

Zari caught up to Zuko in his office catching him off guard.

"Zari you scared me."

"Daddy, why won't you eat with me and mommy anymore?"

"Zari come on." She grabbed her arm leading her out of Zuko's office. Zuko looked away when Katara walked into the room. Zari noticed her parents were acting weird and she didn't like it.

"Zari go get changed." Her mom told her. She did as she was told and ran off to her room. Katara leaned against the wall and sighed.

"I couldn't help but notice you two are fighting again." She jumped when one of the guards came out of no where. She nodded.

"Maybe you should try talking to him. Maybe apologize for-

"For what?" She was appalled.

"For being young and naïve." She frowned. "My apologies fire lady but you two are so young with a child and the weight of a country on your shoulders. I understand at one point you'll act like the children you are put could you just try to act mature about this fight? Just get your point across and leave it. Let it settle in. I know this is hard for the fire lord." Katara thought over what he said and nodded. She didn't like having to be the one to always give in first but if it meant no more fighting it was worth it.

Zuko walked back into the kitchen to get a glass of water. He peeked around the corner to make sure Katara wasn't in there. When the cost was clear he moved further into the kitchen when one of the cooks stopped him.

"You know you've got to apologize right?" Zuko almost choked on his water when he heard someone saw that.

"What?" The old cook was washed some fruit when she turned to look at the firelord.

"You've got to be mature and tell her you're sorry. You your daughter is worried." Zuko looked down ashamed. He was angry with Katara but he could never be mad at Zari. How had she been dragged into all of this?

"I guess I could-

"No guessing! You should know. You love that girl I can see it. Go get her!" The old women smiled at him. He smiled back in appreciation and ran off to find her.

XXX

"Katara?" She looked back and saw him. She had been in the library, back where all this started.

"I was actually looking for you too." He kept his hands behind he back. A little curious he asked:

"Where did you sleep last night?" She laughed and pointed outside. He chuckled, why was she so weird. That's when memories flowed in all the way back to the first time her realized how important she was to him. She was a lot of things: stubborn, hot headed, bossy… kind, loving, smart, beautiful. He could describe with so many words. It was crazy how much he really got to know her. In the begging she was an enemy and now? He knew everything she said last night was true, even if he didn't want to believe it. Maybe it was all his fault.

Katara smiled when Zuko laughed. She loved seeing him smile. She truly did love him, with all her heart. It was funny how love worked. It snuck up on you when you weren't looking. Things just happen out of the blue and suddenly the man you wish was dead, is sleeping by your side every night.

Katara walked up to him about to speak when Zuko pulled her into his chest. He leaned down and put his lips to her ear kissing it softly.

"I'm sorry for making you feel worthless and acting like you're not important to me, but stop thinking that. Because you know what I told you that day was true. I will love to the day I die and all of eternity. I'm sorry that I dragged you into this royalty bullshit and I'm sorry that I don't pay attention to you and Zari as much as I should. I know were going to fight like this…a lot but I want you to that the Zuko you fell in love with is still here. He's just buried in a lot of meetings and paper work." Katara had to smile at that.

"Now it's your destiny to find him and smack some sense into him. I miss you too and hurts that you don't think I do. I'm asking for your help. Can you help me find my sanity before I do something I really don't want to do?"

"I can try." He kissed her cheek and pulled her closer. She pulled her own arms up around his neck.

"I'm sorry that I feel like that but I only miss you…a lot." Tears started to stain his shirt. He let her cry in his arms. He missed holding her like this.

"I love you Zuko."

"I love you more." She smiled into his chest and looked up to kiss him. The couple felt a tug on their clothes. They looked down at Zari with a little smirk on her face.

"Are you guys better now?" Zuko laughed and picked up his girls hugging them tightly.


End file.
